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Marienborn Memorial to Divided Germany

Until 1989 the Marienborn border crossing (GÜSt) was a bottleneck for vehicle traffic traveling between East and West. Erected on July 1, 1945, the Allied checkpoint developed over the course of the Cold War into the largest and most important border crossing at the former inner German border. When the border opened on November 9, 1989, GDR citizens were able to pass the Marienborn border crossing (GÜSt) without restrictions. Inspections were discontinued on July 1, 1990, exactly 45 years later.

The Marienborn Memorial to Divided Germany opened on August 13, 1996. A passport control unit, automobile entry point, customs processing area, and command tower are open to visitors. The historical context is described in the permanent exhibition “The GDR Marienborn Border Crossing: Bulwark, Eye of the Needle, Seismograph,” which opened in the visitors center in 2000.

The Hötensleben Border Monument became a part of the memorial in 2004. It shows the development of the inner German border fortifications from 1989. Covering 6.5 hectare of land along 350-meters of the border, it is the best preserved example of fortification facilities.